Guest Reviews

Maduzi Hotel: "They go the extra mile"

"We LOVED our stay here! They truly go the extra mile and we were so impressed! Every little detail of your stay has been clearly thought through and they've considered how to make it better, e.g. you can check in and out at any time!! and you can have your welcome drink at any time! Additionally the Maduzi is in the perfect location, close to the BTS, in the safe Sukhumvit area. This place has everything you need from a hotel, and so much more!"

Cheong Fatt Tze – Blue Mansion: "A Truly Unique And Special Place To Stay"

"The Cheong Fatt Tze Blue Mansion is an incredibly unique hotel. Built in the late 1800’s, the mansion was the family home of Chinese businessman and politician Cheong Fatt Tze. The mansion symbolized his wealth and prosperity, with extraordinary detail given to the original building and restoration. In modern terms, it’s one of the most “Instagrammable” buildings I’ve ever seen! Keep reading to find out why I highly recommend staying at the famous Blue Mansion. THE HISTORY The original version of the Cheong Fatt Tze Blue Mansion was built with 38 rooms, 5 courtyards, and 7 staircases, and is one of the largest buildings of its kind outside of China. Feng Shui played an important role in the design of the mansion, and each part of the layout had a specific a purpose. For example, the number of open air courtyards is because water is seen as wealth, so the more rain you have naturally coming into the house the better. Once that water was inside, there are winding drainage pipes to keep the water underneath the house as long as possible before flowing outside. There is so much history behind the building that the Mansion runs daily tours several times a dat so you can learn about the Mansion even if you are not staying there. However, I would still highly recommend booking a room because the tours only cover the common areas and not the guest rooms to maintain guests’ privacy. While the tour is still worth it if that’s your only option, staying in the hotel itself allows you to have the full experience and get better pictures! THE ROOMS The Blue Mansion has 18 rooms, each with its own name and backstory. I was in the Escoy room, named after an old smelting company in Penang. Located on the ground floor, the room had beautiful tall ceilings, detailed gold carvings, and plenty of space to spread out. In addition, there are little heirlooms and authentic 19th century furniture scattered throughout to give it even more personality. The rooms all have amenities that would have made Cheong Fatt Tze himself jealous, including a large HDTV, speedy wi-fi and a heavenly rainfall shower. It was truly a unique experience to stay in a place with such history, while still having full access to luxury amenities! THE FOOD Breakfast is served each day in the central courtyard, which is where the “Feng Shui” is strongest. The staff does a great job transforming the beautiful open air courtyard into a wonderful breakfast spread. There is a self-served area for pastries, toast and fruit, as well as made to order hot dishes from the waiter. You can also choose local flavors to be ready for your day! There is also a wonderful on-site restaurant called Indigo which was also great. Located upstairs above the central courtyard, Indigo fuses Eastern and Western culture in both the food and the ambiance. The in-house chef creates wonderful dishes each night, with each dish looking like a piece of artwork itself. The lamb and fish were especially good, so be sure to make a reservation during your stay! THE LOCATION Once you are well fed, you’ll see the Blue Mansion is perfectly located to many walkable sites. Given that Penang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, there are countless beautiful buildings and little areas to visit. These include the Clan Jetties, Little India, and Red Garden, a great night food market which is literally next door! One of my favorite parts of the location was is the short walk to many of the famous works of street art dotting the alleyways of Penang. Be sure to grab a map and ask the concierge for the locations of the art because some of them can be tricky to find but worth the effort! CONCLUSION Staying at the Cheong Fatt Tze Blue Mansion was one of the highlights of my entire trip to Malaysia. The history behind the building itself is extremely interesting and the hotel itself was beautiful. Be sure to bring a spare memory card when you visit because you will take countless pictures of both the Mansion itself and all the amazing sites nearby. The Blue Mansion is a very special experience and I highly recommend staying with them next time you are in Penang! Stayed January 2017, traveled as a couple"

The Cabochon Hotel: "Colonial, Bygone Dreaminess"

This hotel has a perfect old-world charm, located right in the thick of trendy Thong Lo. It's a minute walk to the BTS, but you can't hear any of the crazy noise of Bangkok, because the hotel is down a small soi. It has a rooftop pool with full sun (often tough to find in Asia, where locals don't like to tan) and a very friendly, English-fluent staff. The rooms are large, and we had a connected suite living room + kitchen that we shared with a few other guests. Loved it and would definitely stay again.

Poring Hot Spring Nature Reserve: "Fun place to do small vacation"

This place is suitable for the young kid to enjoy playing in the pools and also for the adult to enjoy the hot spring.

Labyrinth: "Substantial improvement and deserving of a star"

This is our second visit and our 125th starred fine dining restaurant. The innovation of the food, presentation and quantity has improved(you now get an umbrella with the crab!) and it is truly deserving of it's star

Cheong Fatt Tze – Blue Mansion: "Feels like staying in a 19th century building"

The property still retains its original feel, as the owners have used professional building conservation methods to restore the building instead of totally revamping the interior in accordance to modern interior design concepts. Recommend to attend the daily guided tours to know more about the history of the building and its 1st owner, Cheong Fatt Sze.

Cabochon Hotel & Residence: "nice experience in the 1920s…."

"First time to stay in a hotel with 1920s' French style, the place is elegant and feel like home. So different from Bangkok , feel like a secret garden. Like the desk lamp design in room and wooden floor is nice.."

Supanniga Cruise: "Wonderful romantic dinner cruise"

The Supanniga cruise is not like the other cruises on the river. It’s not a party / karaoke boat! It’s quiet, relaxing and romantic and the food is excellent. The food is cooked on the boat - there is no buffet thank goodness! It’s very comfortable with only a small number of tables. The champagne dinner cruise is really worth the money. You can sip your freshly made cocktail and cringe when the noisy party boats go past! The staff are excellent too. They know the best photo spots and will happily take your picture! Highly recommended!

misool: "Even better the second time around"

"My wife and I first visited MER in 2013 (if interested, see my review dated July 9, 2013) and returned for our second visit in February of this year. Our observations: In the three years between visits, the fish life has continued to rebound in a remarkable fashion thanks to MER's No Take Zone and ranger patrols of that area. There is so much to see on every dive site. Brilliant colors abound, along with critters galore, sharks and mantas, too! Diving was the focus of our visit and we found the dive operation to be efficiently and expertly managed by Calvin and his support staff. The food was once again plentiful and delicious. A change since last time was the switch during lunchtime from buffet style to family style, where heaping plates of food were passed around each table. Great conversations were had daily when the guests came together at meal time. The grounds are clean and well maintained, the staff helpful and friendly, the spa services are varied and most satisfying and while my wife and I have traveled extensively around the globe, we found ourselves more relaxed on this trip than anywhere before. Marit and Andrew have a spectacular vision for this place and continue to look for ways to conserve and protect this beautiful part of the world, while allowing guests to come along for the ride. What a privilege for those who visit. We're already planning to return in 2018 and we can't wait to once again see the friends we've made at MER. Dave and Elaine "

Nimmu House: "The perfect place to enjoy the beauty of Ladakh"

We stayed at Nimmu House in the beginning of May, only 1 week after the road between Nimmu and Leh opened. Nimmu house is is located in Nimmu village, at about 40km from Leh. Nimmu village is situated in the Himalayas with stunning views of the surrounding mountains, which we could enjoy from the garden of Nimmu House during breakfast and lunch. Sure, you can get the same views in Leh as well, and throughout Ladakh, but you would be missing out on the tranquillity of a small village, the kindness of the local people, and above all the great food and ambience in Nimmu house and the hospitality of the team, in the skill full and experienced hands of Will, the French manager, who attended to our every need during our stay and explained everything about the fascinating history of the premises. The food was amazing. A mix of delicious Indian and European food cooked with fresh products form the gardens off Nimmu village. For us (living in Delhi), it was the perfect escape of our daily lives in the busy city to go take long walks, embrace the silence and get a breath of fresh air. Nimmu house became one of our favourite places in India.